Machine for opening envelops.



No. 650,093. L M WELS-EN Patented May 2 2, |900.

MACHINE FDR OPENING ENVELOPS.

(Application ledDec. 24, 1898. Renewed Oct. 31, 1899.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

l `d` Y L: lllllllllm A Trag/vnf L. M MEI-SEN. Patented May |90 MACHINE FURDPENING ENVELUPS.

(Application filed Dec. 24, 1898. Renewed Oct. 31, 1899.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Modal.)

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Paientd may 22, |900.i

No. 650,093.v

L. M. NIELSEN. MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS. (Application led Dec. 24, 189B. Renewal@ Oct. 31, 189B.)v

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

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l UNITED STATES `PATENT VlEEICIEQ EAURirs M. NIELsEN, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

SPIECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 650,093, dated May 22, Application filed December 24,1898. Renewed October 31,1899. Serial No. 735,423. (N0 model-5 To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, LAURITs M. NIELSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, (Brooklyn,) in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Opening Envelops, of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for open@i ing envelops; and the object thereof is to provide an improved machine of this class which is designed to cut off the end of the envelop and which may be placed upon adesk, table, or other article of furniture.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in Which-h Figure 1 is a plan view of my improvement with the top and a portion of the front removed; Fig. 2, a cross-section with the top and front in position, said section being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a front view with the top and portion of the front removed; Fig. 4, a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3 3 Fig. 5, a perspective View of a cutter-blade which forms a part of the machine;` Fig. 6, a View similar to Fig. 1, showing a modified form of construction; and Fig. 7 a section on the line 7 of Fig. 6.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in the practice of my invention I provide a casing comprising a back 7, vertical end pieces 3,

and a downwardly and forwardly inclinedV top and front 9, in which is formed a longitudinal opening 10, said opening consisting of a base-plate 11 and a downwardly and backwardly-directed shield 12, between which and the base-plate is a longitudinal slot 13, and the base-plate 1l of the opening 10 is provided at its inner edge with a downwardly-directed flange 14.

Within the casing at one of the back corners thereof issecured a frame-plate 15, and mounted in the adjacent end 7 and in said frame-plate 15 is a drum-shaft 16, on which is mounted a spring-drum 17, providedwith a ratchet-wheel 18, which is secured thereto,

and a gear-wheel 19, which is provided with a spring-operated paWl 20, which operates in connection with the ratchet-wheel 18, and below the drum-shaft 16 is another short shaft 2l, provided with a pinion 22, (see Fig. 4,) in

'connection with which the gear-wheel 19 operates, and the shaft 21 is also provided with a gear-wheel 23, which operates in connection with a pinion 24, mounted on a shaft 25, supported centrally and longitudinally of the machine and in front of the shaft 21, as clearly shown'in Figs.- 1, 2, and 4. i

Mounted'on the shaft 25 and rigidlyA secured thereto is a rectangular cutter-blade frame comprising parallel sides 26 and parallel ends 27, and mounted in bearings -23 at one end of said frame, as shown at the right of Fig. 1, is a rod 29, provided with a spring 30, which bears on the bearing at 23 and on a pin 3l, secured in said rod, and the operation of said spring 30 is to force the rod 29 transversely of the cutter-blade frame, and the end of the rod `29 which projects in the direction in which the spring 30 operates is pivotally connected at.32 with a horizontal bar 33, which is pivoted at 34 to the opposite end of the cutter-blade frame, the connection between the rod 29 and the bar 33 being made by means of an angle iron or clip 35.

The end of the bar 33 adjacent to its connection with the rod 29 is provided with an up-` wardly-directed flange 36,having a forwardlydirected tooth 37, beveled on its upper front side, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The cutter-blade 3S is of the form shown in Figs. 2 and 5, one end thereof being wider than the other and the front being convex in cross-section, the cutter edge 39 being also directed downwardly, and said cutter-blade is rigidly secured to one side of the cutter-blade frame, as shown at 40, and the end of the cutterblade frame adjacent to the rod 29 is provided at one corner with a shoulder or projection 41, which is adapted to operate in connection with an arm 42, pivoted at 43, and the lower end of which is provided with a head 44,`hav ing a notch or recess 44.

Secured to the downwardly-directed flange 14 of the bottom or base 11 ofthe front opening 10 is a cutter-bar 45, in connection with which the cutter-blade 33 operates.

Pivoted adjacent to the end of the casing IOO ' opposite the Varm 42, vas shown at 46, is an arm 47, which extends longitudinally of the V=ma l zure.

yorcutpfi the 'end thereof, .the end -of the chine and which is held in a raised position by a spring 48,having a hook 49,wl1ich catches in a notch or recess 50 in the bottom of said arm, and saidarml is provided centrally with a downwardly-directedpin 51-and at its free end with a downwardly-directed extension 52, provided at its lower end with a backwardly-` directed foot 53, and the upward movement of the arm 47 is limited by a stop 54, secured.N to the adjacentendof. themain casing ofthe machine.

The normal position-of 'theparts of 'thema-1l chine is that shown in Figs. 'l and 2, and it will be apparent'that'the spring-drum 17 operatesatallj'times toturn the cutter-blade frameinthedirection of the arrow shown `in Fig.'j2,'and inthe position of the parts --shown' in :said-ligure the tooth or yprojection 37 rests on the cutter-bar and holds the cutterbladefframe in the position shown in 'sa-id 'iig- If new itis desired to open an envelop envelop-is passed into'the Vopening 10 and through the-slot 13. The end offtheenvelop strikes the tooth 37 and f orces lback-the bar 33-and the lspring-operated rod 29, thespr-ing 30 being soadjusted as to require ybut very slightpressu-re to accomplish this operation. The instant that the bar 33 has been moved -back thecutt-er-blade frame starts to revolve,

volvedinstantly rand, quickly bythe springd r\.nm,and,V as the said frame completes its revolutienthe blade 38 cuts olf the end of the envelop, said blade operating in connection with'thecutter-bar 45 in `the-mannerof apair ofjshears and the tooth or projection 37 strikes the said cutter-bar 45, as shown'in Fig. 2,-a'nds-tops'the revolution of the-cutter-blade frameuntil-the bar 33 is again moved in- I Wardlyjbythe insertion of another envelop.

' The' cutter-'blade frame at each revolution .also raises thefreeend of the pivoted arm 42,

sofasto allowthe arm 47 tobe raised .by the spring 48, -this'operation being accomplished by {th-@projection 4l operating in connection,

vwith the head 44 of the arm 42. V: Itwillbe `understood that the entireoperative "parts -of this device are inclosed in 4ak casing and concealedfrom View, and nothing thin end-of an envelop or similar article.

' Itmaysometimes happen when the sprin gdrum is run-down that the cutter-blade frame jacent end of the casing and is provided with a thumb-piece or handle 57, and the inner end/of said lever Vprojects downwardly and iin-tvardlyand terminates at 5'8,.afnd the cutter-blade frame may be raised into the position shown in Fig. 2 lbydepres's'ing the thumbpiece or handle 57 of` said `1e,ver,the .innerend of said lever .thus being forced upwardly and coming in contact with the fendfof ythe cutterblade frame forward of the shaft l25,'and fthe inner end'of the lever56 isnormallyfdepressedY by a spring 59.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a plan view of a modified form of construction Vinwhich the pivoted bar 33 is dispensed with-and astationary bar 60 is secured to the vside of the cutter-blade frame and provided :with `an* upwardly-directed langeGL In this'form of construction 'the cutter-blade is secured to the side-of the cutter-blade frame, as yshown in Fig. 7, directly under the bar v60. The cutter-1bar'45 is also employed in this lterm of Vconstruction,:and the endof the spring-.operated rod 29 is adapted'to enter a'notch or recess 6.2 insaid cutter-bar 45, as shown in Fig. 6. Pivoted at 63adjacent tothe end of the cutter-bar 45 in which the notchor recess 62 is `formed is a spring-operated lever 64, the

end of which projects through the vadjacent endof the Amain casing and is provided Awith a th'u mb-piece orh'and-le65, and Ithe inner end 66 of said lever is adapted to press-'on the ladjacent end'of the spring-operated rod '29andv force'it backwardly. In the operation of 'this form-of construction the end of theenvelop `is inserted, as hereinbeforeV described, and` strikes the upwardly-directedilange 61 of the bar 60. The lever 64 is then operated tio-force vthe rod 29 inwardly, and the cutter-,blade frame is revolved, as hereinbefore described, and the blade 26,0peratingin connection with the cutter-bar 45 as said ,frame is revolved cuts off the end of the envelop. There-volution of the cutter-blade frame is instantaneous, and when the lever 64 is-operated to release the rod 29 the spring 67 throwssaid leverback intothe position 'shown in Fig. 6,

and as the cutter-blade frame comes around t'he rod 29 strikes the bar v45 and stops said l frame, and' this operation is repeated as often ias it is desired to cut oft' the end of ".anenivelop. f

can 'bejinserted into said casing except the c My improved lmachine issimple in construc- Ation and perfectly adapted to accomplish the `result for which itis intended, yand'it will be Eappa-rent that changes vin and modifications IOC IIO

IZO

of the construction described may be made Without departing from the spirit of my in-V said bar, said bar being also provided at its free end with a tooth or projection operating in connection with said cutter-bar to stop the cutter-blade frame at each completerevolution thereof, said casing being also provided with a pivotally-supported spring-raised arm which extends longitudinally and rearwardly of said slot, and which is adapted to hold an envelop when inserted through said slot and to be depressed by said frame in the revolution thereof, and said casing being also provided with a pivoted catch which is adapted to hold said arm in a depressed position, sub- Stantially asshown and described.

4. In a machine of the class described, a casing provided with a slot in the front thereof,

verse spring-operated rod mounted in said fralne and connected with the free end of said bar, said bar being also provided at its free end with a tooth or projection operating in connection with said cutter-bar to stop the cutter-blade frame at each complete revolution thereof, and a spring-raised arm pivoted within said casing and extending longitudinally and rearwardly of said slot and provided with a pin adapted to bind an inserted envelop against said cutter=bar, and also provided With a downwardly and rearwardly projecting foot which said projection is adapted to engage to depress said arm and piu, substantially as shown and described.

2. A machine of the class described, comprising a casing havinga longitudinal slot in the front thereof, a cutter-bar secured to the inner rear wall of said slot, aspring-operated shaft mounted in said casing, a cutter-blade frame secured to said shaft and provided with a cutter-blade which operates in connection with said cutter-bar, a bar pivoted to one end of said frame adjacent to the cutter-blade, and extending longitudinally thereof, a transverse spring-operated rod mounted in said frame and connected with the free end of said bar, said bar being also provided at its free end with a tooth or projection operating in connection with said cutter-bar to stop the cutter-blade frame at each complete revolution thereof, said casing being also provided witha pivotally-supported spring-raised arm which extends longitudinally and rearwardly of said slot, and which is adapted to hold an envelop when inserted through said slotand to be depressed by said .frame ,in the revolution thereof, substantially as shown and described.

3. A machine of the class described, coinprising a casing having a longitudinal slot in the front thereof, a cutter-bar secured to the inner rear wall of said slot, aspring-operated shaft mounted in said casing, a cutter-blade frame secured to said shaft and provided with a cutter-blade which operates in connection with said cutter-bar, a bar pivoted to'one end of said frame adjacent to the cutter-blade,V and extending longitudinally thereof,a transverse spring-operated rod mounted in said frame and connected with the free end of a cutter-bar secured to the inner lower edge of said slot, a revoluble spring-operated frame mounted in said casing and provided witha cutterblade which operates in connection with said cutter-bar, said frame being provided with a spring-operated device for engaging said cutter-bar to stop it at each revolution, and means for swinging said frame to raise said cutter-blade and bring said device into engagement with said cutter-bar, silbstantially as shown and described.

5. Ina machine of the class described, acasing provided with a slot in the front thereof, a cutter-bar secured to the inner lower. edge of said slot, a revoluble spring-operated frame mounted in said casing and provided with a cutterblade which operates in connection with said cutter-bar, said frame being provided with a spring-operated device for engaging said cutter-bar to stop it at each revolution, and means for swinging said frame to raise said cutter-blade and bring said device into engagement with said cutter-bar, cornprising a pivotally-mou nted spring-depressed arm 56 provided with a thumb-piece exteriorly of said casing and the inner end ofA of each revolution thereof, means for releasing said frame, and means for swinging said frame to raise said cutter-blade, and bring said pin into operatiou,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my naine, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 22d day of December, 1898.

LAURITs M. NIELsEN.

Witnesses: l F. A. STEWART, V. M. VosLER,

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